see how you’re getting on.’
‘Kenny! What are you doing here this time of the morning? Whatever time did you set off?’
He was waiting for her as she came off duty after the long night. She wouldn’t see Robbie until later – they both needed to sleep. Kenny had arrived at the guardroom at the main gate and a message had been sent to Fleur.
‘There’s nothing wrong at home, is there?’ Fleur was still anxious.
Kenny grinned. ‘No more than usual. Mum’s still going on about you joining up and me following you. I shan’t wait till I’m called up, though. I shall volunteer as soon as I can.’
‘Oh, it’ll all be over by the time you’re old enough,’ Fleur said, hoping she sounded more convincing than she felt.
‘Hope not,’ Kenny said cheerfully with the thoughtlessness of youth. ‘I want to see a bit of the action myself.’
Fleur sighed heavily but couldn’t prevent a smile. ‘And you know who’ll get the blame if you do “see a bit of the action”?’
‘You will.’ He grinned, draping one arm around her shoulder and wheeling his bicycle with the other hand as they began to walk down the lane towards Rose Cottage. Although five years younger than Fleur, he was already a head taller.
‘Exactly!’ she said with wry humour, but then her tone sobered. ‘But seriously, Kenny, I couldn’t bear it if something happened to you. No more than Mum and Dad could. You do know that, don’t you?’
He gave her shoulder a squeeze. ‘Course I do,’ he said softly, but then teased, ‘now don’t start getting all soppy on me. But I’ll tell you now, if the war is still going on, I shall join up. I’m not having anyone calling me a coward.’
‘Oh, Kenny, they wouldn’t. Farming’s acknowledged as a reserved occupation.’
‘I know, and I don’t blame those who stay, but you’ve seen for yourself the looks that young, unmarried fellers get.’
Fleur was silent, thinking of Kitty’s scathing remark about Alfie. She’d seen for herself now how hurtful such comments could be.
‘And it’s not your fault either. I’d’ve gone anyway, whether you had or not, and I shall tell Mum so when the time comes.’
Fleur slipped her arm around his waist and laid her head against his shoulder as they walked side by side.
‘It makes no difference whether Mum blames me or not, love. I shall blame myself.’ There was a pause and then she said, ‘I just wondered why you’re here so early, that’s all.’ She sighed. ’It’s a sign of the times. I immediately thought something was wrong.’
‘I just thought I’d like to spend the day with you. I’ve no school today and Dad said he’d manage the morning milking on his own, so I set off at the crack of dawn.’
‘How long does it take you?’
Kenny wrinkled his forehead. ‘Couple of hours, I suppose. Bit more, p’raps. I use all the back roads and lanes, cutting across country. It’s quicker.’
‘Well, it’s great to see you,’ she said, giving his waist a quick squeeze.
As they rounded the last corner towards the two cottages, Fleur glanced up and saw Robbie waiting by the gate, arms akimbo, watching them approach. His fair hair was ruffled by the breeze, his jacket and shirt collar undone, his tie hanging loose. She pulled in a sharp breath and Kenny looked down at her.
‘What is it, Sis?’ Then, as he saw the brightness in her eyes, he followed the line of her gaze. ‘Oho,’ he said softly, ‘so this is the feller all the trouble’s about, is it?’
‘Yes,’ Fleur breathed. ‘That’s him. That’s Robbie.’
‘Then you’d better introduce me and I can report back to Mum.’
‘It won’t make any difference,’ Fleur murmured sadly. ‘There’s something that happened in the past, but we don’t know what and no one will tell us. Look, Kenny, be a dear. Don’t say anything in front of Robbie, will you?’
‘Course not if you say so.’
They were too close now to be able to say more without him hearing,
‘Kenny! What are you doing here this time of the morning? Whatever time did you set off?’
He was waiting for her as she came off duty after the long night. She wouldn’t see Robbie until later – they both needed to sleep. Kenny had arrived at the guardroom at the main gate and a message had been sent to Fleur.
‘There’s nothing wrong at home, is there?’ Fleur was still anxious.
Kenny grinned. ‘No more than usual. Mum’s still going on about you joining up and me following you. I shan’t wait till I’m called up, though. I shall volunteer as soon as I can.’
‘Oh, it’ll all be over by the time you’re old enough,’ Fleur said, hoping she sounded more convincing than she felt.
‘Hope not,’ Kenny said cheerfully with the thoughtlessness of youth. ‘I want to see a bit of the action myself.’
Fleur sighed heavily but couldn’t prevent a smile. ‘And you know who’ll get the blame if you do “see a bit of the action”?’
‘You will.’ He grinned, draping one arm around her shoulder and wheeling his bicycle with the other hand as they began to walk down the lane towards Rose Cottage. Although five years younger than Fleur, he was already a head taller.
‘Exactly!’ she said with wry humour, but then her tone sobered. ‘But seriously, Kenny, I couldn’t bear it if something happened to you. No more than Mum and Dad could. You do know that, don’t you?’
He gave her shoulder a squeeze. ‘Course I do,’ he said softly, but then teased, ‘now don’t start getting all soppy on me. But I’ll tell you now, if the war is still going on, I shall join up. I’m not having anyone calling me a coward.’
‘Oh, Kenny, they wouldn’t. Farming’s acknowledged as a reserved occupation.’
‘I know, and I don’t blame those who stay, but you’ve seen for yourself the looks that young, unmarried fellers get.’
Fleur was silent, thinking of Kitty’s scathing remark about Alfie. She’d seen for herself now how hurtful such comments could be.
‘And it’s not your fault either. I’d’ve gone anyway, whether you had or not, and I shall tell Mum so when the time comes.’
Fleur slipped her arm around his waist and laid her head against his shoulder as they walked side by side.
‘It makes no difference whether Mum blames me or not, love. I shall blame myself.’ There was a pause and then she said, ‘I just wondered why you’re here so early, that’s all.’ She sighed. ’It’s a sign of the times. I immediately thought something was wrong.’
‘I just thought I’d like to spend the day with you. I’ve no school today and Dad said he’d manage the morning milking on his own, so I set off at the crack of dawn.’
‘How long does it take you?’
Kenny wrinkled his forehead. ‘Couple of hours, I suppose. Bit more, p’raps. I use all the back roads and lanes, cutting across country. It’s quicker.’
‘Well, it’s great to see you,’ she said, giving his waist a quick squeeze.
As they rounded the last corner towards the two cottages, Fleur glanced up and saw Robbie waiting by the gate, arms akimbo, watching them approach. His fair hair was ruffled by the breeze, his jacket and shirt collar undone, his tie hanging loose. She pulled in a sharp breath and Kenny looked down at her.
‘What is it, Sis?’ Then, as he saw the brightness in her eyes, he followed the line of her gaze. ‘Oho,’ he said softly, ‘so this is the feller all the trouble’s about, is it?’
‘Yes,’ Fleur breathed. ‘That’s him. That’s Robbie.’
‘Then you’d better introduce me and I can report back to Mum.’
‘It won’t make any difference,’ Fleur murmured sadly. ‘There’s something that happened in the past, but we don’t know what and no one will tell us. Look, Kenny, be a dear. Don’t say anything in front of Robbie, will you?’
‘Course not if you say so.’
They were too close now to be able to say more without him hearing,
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